Linksys today announced the availability of the latest additions to its Smart Wi-Fi portfolio. The Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Router AC 1200 and AC 1750 are available immediately and the Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Router AC 1600, model EA6400, is planned for availability in late May. The new Smart Wi-Fi routers can be installed from virtually any device through browser-based set-up; and with Linksys SimpleTap, consumers can easily connect new devices to the home network through innovative ways, such as scanning a QR code or NFC tag. All new models feature industry-standard beamforming technology that significantly helps improve router speed, overall performance and wireless range in the home.

"The increase in smart devices has created a strong demand for smarter Wi-Fi solutions that can keep up with all of today's technology needs," said Mike Chen, senior director of product management, Linksys. "Our new, more powerful Smart Wi-Fi routers not only deliver unprecedented speed and range, but also game-changing Smart Wi-Fi tools and apps that allow users to do everything from manage kids' screen time to centrally store and stream music and video, all through their smartphone and tablet, from anywhere around the world."

With routers becoming the hub of the home, the new Smart Wi-Fi Routers deliver incredibly fast Wi-Fi speeds with exceptional in-house Wi-Fi coverage and a host of innovative tools for home network monitoring and control. These new routers also are compatible with Linksys Smart Wi-Fi mobile apps, which make it simple to access and control your home network on the go.

Smarter Routers for Smart Devices
With more smart devices entering the home, consumers need Wi-Fi that is powerful, easy to use and enables them to get to their media files—wherever they are. The new dual-band Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Routers are equipped with the latest 802.11ac technology, offering fast wireless speeds—up to three times the speed of Wireless-N*, excellent range and backward compatibility with existing wireless devices. Additionally, the new Smart Wi-Fi Routers are IPv6-enabled, supporting the latest Internet Protocol technology to future-proof home networks.

Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Router AC 1600 Video Enthusiast, EA6400 – The dual-band AC 1600 is an ideal option for homes with five to seven connected devices. This router has Wi-Fi speeds up to 1300 Mbps on the 5 GHz band and up to 300 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band.

Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Router AC 1200 Advanced Multimedia, EA6300 – Offering up to 867 Mbps on the 5 GHz band and up to 300 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band, the dual-band AC 1200 is the ideal fit for a small home with three to five connected devices such as a PC, smartphone and Smart TV.

The new Linksys routers are also equipped with Gigabit Ethernet and USB 3.0 ports. The USB ports can be used to share storage devices or printers throughout the home. With a USB flash drive or hard drive connected to the new Smart Wi-Fi Routers, media can be shared in and outside the home. With Gigabit Ethernet and USB 3.0 ports, the routers can rapidly transfer files between the connected storage and other devices—ideal for using the routers' USB storage capabilities to back up media from consumers' smartphones, tablets or notebooks.

Linksys also added beamforming technology to all new 802.11ac routers to deliver better network range and faster Wi-Fi speeds in the home. Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Routers with beamforming technology are designed to precisely adjust, steer and monitor the direction and shape of the Wi-Fi signals for better performance. Beamforming technology is also supported in our coordinating Mini Wireless-AC Dual-Band USB Adapter, the AE6000.

The new Smart Wi-Fi Routers can be installed from most tablets, smartphones or from PC browsers. Consumers simply connect to the router with their device then follow the simple set-up wizard to complete installation. An optional Linksys Smart Wi-Fi account can be created for easy control of the home network, including settings, connected devices and Smart Wi-Fi tools on virtually any device, anytime, anywhere.

With SimpleTap now available on all Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Routers, the process of connecting devices to a home network is as easy as one touch of a button or a quick tap of a card. SimpleTap allows users to take advantage of Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) by pushing the physical WPS button on the router or pushing the WPS button in the router's browser or app interface.

I think they do it due to looks and being cheaper that way, how ever you can upgrade them even more so the e4200. Although by the pic i am going post looks like you can add 6 too it and you can get the upgrades mods on ebay

Maybe it's a bit of every thing cost \ cheaper to build and looks. although i think they are really ugly and inconvenient lol

Becuase they want you to spend more money to upgrade coverage by buying an range extender.

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Not to sure about that. When i was testing 1 of 3 of there routers out i removed the antenna and got near 0 loss of signal, reason why i did it was to know which was which router due to testing if they worked as they should of.

Although you could be right if they are not made as good as the good old Linksys ones were. If they really have got that weak i am glad i am using the old ones still..

Actually, i have a much better coverage with E4200 than i had with WRT54GL with external antennas and the same transmitting power. So the shape isn't everything.
And since it looks better i can now have on my desk in a corner.

Btw, are these still from Cisco or are they already underneath Belkin just not yet branded as such (aka Linksys by Belkin)?

Actually, i have a much better coverage with E4200 than i had with WRT54GL with external antennas and the same transmitting power. So the shape isn't everything.
And since it looks better i can now have on my desk in a corner.

Btw, are these still from Cisco or are they already underneath Belkin just not yet branded as such (aka Linksys by Belkin)?

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Yeahs shapes not really going do much except for looking like it melted next to the fireplace imo.

Actually, i have a much better coverage with E4200 than i had with WRT54GL with external antennas and the same transmitting power. So the shape isn't everything.
And since it looks better i can now have on my desk in a corner.

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People keep bashing Linksys but has your E4200 ever failed you? It has been one of the better routers I've owned to be honest. It has never crashed on me or slowed down, not once.

You can't tell me that this is bad for Wi-Fi. My signal goes through a floor and two walls before it gets to the router:

Nope, i also think it's superb. To my surprise even stock firmware worked really well unlike the one on WRT54GL which kept on hanging randomly. I was using DD-WRT on my E4200 for a while until i found out TomatoRAF (the original Tomato project is dead) which has a far better QOS control and is even more stable than DD-WRT which was very unreliable few months ago, not sure how it is now...

It can work for several months without fiddling with it, it's CPU seems to be quick enough to deal with massive number of P2P connections and still be able to sort everything through QOS for games to be very playable even at that time. Sure i wouldn't mind the Marvell 1GHz monstrosity from v1 but that one doesn't support TomatoRAF, so it has to be this way. If i could only overclock it without hindering stability, now that would be awesome